I hated the idea of returning so early. I’d wanted to spend the whole day with her.
A tangy-sweet smell tickled my nose and I looked around. Berries. I could smell them.
Moving through the bramble, I found a small patch of picked over blackberries.
“Better?” I asked.
“Much,” she said with a relieved smile. We worked together to find some with enough juice left in them to eat. She ate everything she picked and licked her stained fingers when she couldn’t find any more.
“Here,” I said, holding out the handful I’d gathered.
“It’s all right. You eat them.”
I ate one then extended my hand again. “Your turn.”
She hesitated for a moment then took one. She was stubborn and wouldn’t take another until I did. We continued walking the property line when we finished.
“So what exactly are we doing out here?” Charlene asked after several minutes of silence.
“Keeping you from loneliness.”
She stopped walking and turned toward me.
“Thomas, I didn’t mean to take you away from your responsibilities.”
“I can do what’s needed from here,” I said, touching my head. “I thought you wanted space. That was the only reason I stayed away.”
Her clear expression clouded. Confusion drifted over her features, then worry, and finally uncertainty. The whole while, a light wisp of desire flavored her scent.
“Maybe we should head back,” she said.
I scooped her up in my arms and gazed down at her.
“Haven’t you figured it out yet? You don’t need to run from me. I’m willing to be whatever you need. Even patient.”
Her mouth dropped open slightly, and I knew I’d guessed right. She was attracted to me, but something was holding her back. I hoped it wasn’t her silly human ideas about age. I wasn’t some human boy. I wouldn’t mate with her then leave her. What I offered was for the duration of both our lives.
Focusing on the trees, I started home.
****
I paced her bedroom and watched her sleep. The weak moonlight barely shone on her hair. Yet, I had no problem seeing each rise and fall of her chest.
The day hadn’t gone as I’d planned. Instead of keeping her company and bringing us closer, she’d fled inside as soon as we’d returned. Throughout dinner, she’d remained quiet and withdrawn. And it was killing me.
I knew I wasn’t welcome in her bed. She’d been very clear about that the last time she’d pushed me from it. But I needed to touch her. To feel connected.
Unable to help myself I moved closer and stared down at her. Her lips were slightly parted, her expression peacefully relaxed.
If I kept it innocent, she wouldn’t mind. Would she? I considered the space on the mattress beside her. She hadn’t left me much room, but I could manage. Easing myself down beside her, I listened to her breathing. When it remained steady, I shifted my weight leaning on her just a bit to stay on the mattress. With a sigh, I draped my arm across her waist and set my head on her chest.
The steady beat of her heart soothed me, and I started to drift off.
I couldn’t be sure how long I slept before I heard her breathing change. At some point I’d moved. My head was next to hers with my mouth close to her shoulder. I had her legs pinned with one of mine and my chest was half on top of hers.
The contact made me tingle, and I didn’t want to move. She wiggled under me and a bolt of need hit me hard in the gut. It took everything I had not to rub my hips against hers.
She grabbed my shoulder and pushed. There was no way I was leaving.
“Thomas,” she whispered. “Wake up.”
Nope. She’d need to push me off the bed again.
“Thomas,” she said right in my ear.
The volume hurt, but the brush of her breath just spiked my need higher.
“Now what?” she whispered.
Go to sleep, I thought. Or kiss me. Yeah. Kisses trailed along my neck. My skin heated at the thought.
Then she turned her head toward me. Toward my neck. My heart began to pound fiercely. I heard her lips part. Her breath tickled my ear as she leaned closer. The feel of her teeth on the shell of my ear almost broke my control.
Panic washed over her scent.
“Please tell me you’re awake and in control of yourself,” she said, a warble of fear in her words.
“Barely.”
“Barely awake or barely in control?”
“Both.”
I turned my head and brushed my lips against her ear. My canines were long, but I didn’t plan to bite her. Yet, I needed a taste. A sip of her sweetness.
She shivered under me and moved into my touch.
“Thomas, I can’t breathe.”
“I have the same problem when I’m this close to you.” I ran my tongue around her ear.
She shivered again and turned her head away from me, giving me better access.
“No, Thomas. You’re too heavy. I can’t breathe right.”
I lifted myself slightly and trailed kisses from her ear to her jaw to her chin. Her lungs rose and fell in short excited breaths. Unable to wait longer, I claimed her lips.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around me. Her fingers gently stroked my back. I gently pressed my hips against her, trying to ease the growing ache as I nipped her bottom lip. She opened her mouth to me. I growled and dipped my tongue inside. Her hands pressed against my back, encouraging me as her tongue met mine. I shuddered and moved to fully settle on top her. The first touch of my hips to hers caused her to pull away from the kiss.
Panic engulfed her, and she pushed at my shoulders.
“Stop.”
I groaned and immediately pulled back but I didn’t move away. She stared up at me, her wet lips begging for another kiss I knew she wasn’t yet ready for. Dropping my forehead to her pillow, I tried to calm myself.
“Please, Thomas. I need you to go.”
“I can’t.” I didn’t lift my head. Didn’t she see what she was doing to me? To us? Keeping us apart wasn’t helping either of us. We needed each other.
“You can, but don’t want to. Please,” she said again.
“One more bite,” I said, begging.
“You promised. Never again.”
“Not me. You. Bite me one more time.”
I lifted my head as she turned to look at me.
“You were starting to hurt me,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I bit you, but you wouldn’t wake up.”
“I didn’t mean to sleep on you or scare you. I’ll go back to my spot by the door. Just one more bite, Charlene.”
I needed the feel of her teeth on me again. It was as close to Claiming as she and I could get.
She hesitated. I could see she wanted to. But that wasn’t what she said.
“No. I’m not ready for that.”
I growled in frustration and dropped my head to her shoulder.
“Thomas… you should go.”
“I should,” I agreed. “But I can’t get past this feeling… this rejection. When I’m not with you, it feels as if there’s a hole in my chest, and when you’re close enough to touch, my hand tingles until it hurts. I’ve been waiting for you to show any sign you feel a tenth of what I do, but you don’t. Your disregard just makes the hole in my chest grow larger, emptier. I’m lost, drowning on feelings I don’t understand and losing to instincts that don’t work with you. I can’t sleep. I don’t taste what I eat. And every time I breathe in, your scent torments me. Everything I want is right here, yet I have nothing.”
She remained silent.
“Charlene, please, give me something.”
“Do you promise not to take more than I’m willing to give?”
Was she worried I would attack her like the others? Before she could blink, I traded positions with her. She straddled my stomach, looking down at me as I lay on my back. Would it be enough for her to feel like she was in power?
“I swear, nothing more than you give,” I promised her, setting my hands on her knees.
Her pulse hammered in time with mine and her hands flattened on my chest.
Slowly, she leaned over me, closing the distance between us. Her breath fanned my face. Then, she hesitated.
“I don’t understand why you want me to bite you.”
“I don’t either,” I said, honestly. “It’s not what you think. Well, it is in a way, but it’s more. I feel like we’ll be closer then.”
She leaned down further, until her chest touched mine. I turned my head, giving her access to anything she wanted to nibble on. Ear, jaw, neck. My fingers twitched on her knees. I wanted her to nibble everywhere.